doubts about CELTA

[maruxa]

Hello everyone,
I am considering doing a CELTA course but I am not sure if it is for me as I am Spanish and I am aware that most employers require native speakers...
I would like to ask you about the real possibilities of getting a job as an ESL teacher being a non-native speaker: I have lived in different English speaking countries for a few years in order to improve my speaking skills, and I am a certified translator, so my knowledge of grammar is not bad.
I hold an official teaching certificate from Spain that has been validated as QTS in England and Wales, so I am not sure if I need more qualifications (such as CELTA) in order to become an ESL teacher or if the QTS would be enough.
Is the CELTA course focused on teaching adults or could I get a job with children/teenagers too?
I might move to USA (for some other reasons) and I would like to know if a CELTA certificate would be of any value there.
I know I am asking you a lot of questions, but actually my main concern is if -with CELTA- I could get a job anywhere being a non-native speaker.
Thank you very much for your answers!

[chadley25]

This is my opinion only, but as an ESL teacher AND an American, I believe your bilingualism and certified translator skills would be more useful to you in the US than a CELTA certification. A CELTA course, at least in the US, doesn't come cheaply at all, and so you're right to question its value. A good TESL course might serve you better given your exisiting skill sets, and be a much better economic value to you. However, if your move to the US would be the result of other events anyway, you might just consider forgoing any additional certifications and see how far your exisiting qualifications might take you once you're there. If you find that additional certifications would benefit you, there are, naturally, available TESL/CELTA courses there.

Again, just my two cents' worth! Good luck. :)

[BobK]

In the UK, a CELTA doesn't buy you much in terms of a reasonably paid job; you need a DELTA (for which you need a CELTA + 2 yrs' TEFL experience - either in a non-English-speaking country or at home [for a pittance]).

That said, it doesn't matter that you're not a native speaker of English. On my CELTA course I had two non-native-speaking colleagues. In some sklills they had a advantage (in diagnosing problems, for example).

I doubt whether the CELTA is the best course for you though.

b